Machine for building wire fences



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 1* W. H. BIGELOW.

MAUHINE FOR BUILDING WIRE FENCES. No. 337,119. Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

' lllll'llll WITNESSES wgw v ATTORNEYS.

Phnwumq m hu, Washington. D. c.

2 She etsSheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

W. H. BIGELOW. MACHINE FOR BUILDING WIRE PENGBS.

PatentedMar. 2,1886.v

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ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phnlo'Lilhngmphar, Washington. D. C.

NITED STATES ATENT Fries.

MACHINE FOR BUILDING WIRE FENCES.

fiPECIFICAI'IONforming part of Letters Patent No. 337,119, dated March2, 1886.

Application filed July 2. 1885. Serial No. 170,458. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BIGELOW, of Worthington, in the countyof Nobles and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Building Wire Fences, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one of my improvedfence-building machines. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, partlyin section, through the line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional planview of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the guide-pulleysfor the wire. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the same, taken throughthe line y 3 Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the wirereels,shown as applied to a part of the reelshaft.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the building of wirefences.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of variousparts of the machine, as will be hereinafter fully described, and thenpointed out in the claims.

A represents the frame or platform of the machine, which is mounted uponwheels B, or upon runners, for convenience in being moved from place toplace.

To the side parts of the platform or frame A are attached the lower endsof the posts of a vertical frame, 0.

D is a square shaft, which slides vertically in square holes in thesliding collars E. The collars E revolve in bearings F, attached to theplatform A and to a cross-bar of the vertical frame 0, so that the saidshaft can have both a vertical and a rotary movement.

G is a double pulley, which has a square hole formed through it toreceive the square shaft D, and allow the said shaft to slide up anddown through it freely, While the said pulley will carry the said shaftwith it inits revolution. The pulley G is held from being raised by theshaft D by a keeper, H, attached to the platform A, and which projectsover the upper end of the said pulley.

To the upper side of the forward end of the platform A is pivoted therear end of the sweep I, which has a cross-bar, J, attached to itspivoted rear end, the connection being strengthened by angular braces K,attached to the said sweep and cross-bar.

To the right-hand end of the cross-bar J is attached the end of a ropeor chain, L, which passes around one part of the double pulley G, passesthence across the left-hand side of the sweep-pivot M, and around apulley, N, the block of which is attached to the end of the spring 0.From the pulley N the rope L passes across the right-hand side of thesweeppivot M, to and around a pulley, P, the block of which is securedto the left-hand post of the vertical frame 0, passes thence to andaround the other part of the double pulley G, and its end is secured tothe left-hand end of the crossbar J, so that the square shaft D will berotated by turning the sweep I upon the pivot M. The forward end of thespring 0 is connected with the sweep I by a pin, hook, or other suitablesupport. that will allow the said spring to be readily slackened whendesired.

Q is an ordinary earth-auger, which is secured to the lower end of thesquare shaft D detachably', so that it can be replaced by a larger orsmaller auger, as the desired size of the post-holes to be formed mayrequire.

To the upper end of the square shaft D is swiveled a clevis, R, toreceive the hoistingrope, hereinafter described. The clevis It is heldfrom turning with the shaft D by an eyepin, S, which passes through thearms of the said clevis, and the eye of which receives:and slides upon avertical rod, T, attached to the cross-bars of the vertical frame 0, sothat the hoisting-rope will not be twisted by the revolution of the saidshaft D.

To the rear side of a cross-bar of the vertical frame 0 is hinged theinner end of a hammerarm, U, to the outer end of which is attached thehammer-head V for driving a post, W. The post \V is placed in a recess,A, in the rear end of the platform A, and is held erect, while beingdriven, by a forked spring or holder, X, attached to the said platformA.

The platform A and the hammer-armUare made of such a length that whenthe machine is in position for the hammer U V to drive a post, W, theanger D Q will be in position to bore the next hole.

To the outer end of the hammer-arm U, or

to the hammer-head V, is attached the end of the hoisting-rope Y, whichpasses through the clevis R, over a pulley, Z, pivoted to supportsattached to the top cross-bar of the vertical frame 0, thence around apulley, a, pivoted to its other end is attached to the bearing of thepulley b or other suitable support. Vith this construction, when thesweep is swung to the left, the rope Y is drawn taut, raising the shaftD to withdraw the auger Q from the ground, and raising the hammer U Vinto a vertical position. When the sweep I is swung to the right-,therope Y is slackened, allowing the auger to be forced into the ground,and allowing the hammer to be dropped, when desired, upon the post to bedriven. When the sweep I is swung to the left, the spring 0 should beslackened; or the pulley G might be connected with the shaft D by aratchet-wheel and paw], so that the said pulley can be turned backwithout rotating the said shaft. When the hammer U V comes toa verticalposition, it is caught by a spring-catch, d, attached to the topcross-bar of the frame 0, and is held in that position until withdrawnfrom thesaid catch (1 by the operator by means of a tripcord, e,attached to the said hammer and hanging in such a position that it canbe conveniently reached and operated.

To the platform A and to a bar, 0, attached to the vertical frame 0, ispivoted an upright shaft,f, to which are attached as many reels 9 as itis desired to have strandsh of wire in the fence. The reels 9 aresecured to the shaft f by pins or screws w,passing through lugs 00attached to the said reels and into holes in the said shaft f. Numerousholes are formed in the shaft f to receive the pins or screws w,.so thatthe reels 9 can be adjusted at any desired d1stance apart and at anydesired distance from the ground as the number of wires to be used mayrequire, or the reels 9 can be secured in place by set-screws passingthrough the lugs a: and resting against the shaftf; but the formerconstruction is preferred as holding the reels in place more securely.From the reels 9 each wire it passes between a pair of guide pulleys, t,pivoted to supports attached to the edge or secured in slots formed inthe edge of a vertical frame or plate, j, which is hinged at its otheredge to a post, It, secured to the platform A and further strengthenedin position by a brace, Z, attached to its lower end and to the rearaxle of the carriage, or other substantial support. The guidepulleys iare formed with concaved ribs, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, having spacesbetween them to receive the barbs when barbed wire is used, and thusallow barbed wires to be run through the said pairs of guide-pulleyswith the same facility as plain wires.

When it is desired to strain the wires 71. be-

fore securing them to a post by staples or other suitable fastenings,the reels 9 are held from revolving freely by a lever brake, m, pivotedto the platform A and held against the shaft f, ora collar placed uponthe said shaft. The hinged platej swings in an opening in the platformA, and may be swung to oneor the other side, as may be necessary to leadthe wires along the desired side of the posts.

To brackets y, secured to a rear corner of the platform A, is secured anupright shaft, 2, upon which are placed guide-pulleys 1, to receive thewires h, so that the machine can be used for applying wires to postsalready in the ground. The shaft 2 is strengthened against the strain ofthe wires h by braces 2, attached to the said shaft and to the platformA.

To the upper end of the post It is attached a rubber block, a, to serveas a cushion to stop the descent of the hammer U V when the post W hasbeen driven to the desired depth.

The post k is made in two parts halved to each other and fastenedtogether by bolts, as shown in Fig. 1, one or both the overlapped partsbeing slotted to receive the fastening bolts, so that the said post canbe readily lengthened and shortened so as to allow the hammer U V todrive the posts WV to a less or greater depth, as may be required. Theposts W should be a little larger than the holes formed by the augerD Q,so that the said posts W will stand firm when driven into place.

0 is a brake-bar, provided with brake-shoes p. and attached to the lowerends of rods q, the upper ends of which are attached to the platform A.

To the brake-bar 0, upon the opposite sides of and equally distant fromits center, are attached the ends of a forked or branched cord, 1',which has one or morehooks, s, secured to it in such positions that whenhooked upon posts W, previously driven, and the machine is drawn forwardthe said cord 1' will be drawn taut and made to apply the brake o p tothe wheels 13 and stop the machine in proper position for the auger D Qto bore another hole, and for the hammer U V to drive a post into thehole last bored.

\Vhen the machine is to be driven forward, the sweep I is swung aroundto a position parallel with the length of the machine, and is secured"in place by a lever-catch, t, which is pivoted to the said sweep I. Thelower part ofthe lever'catch t is made with two arms to be swung downupon the opposite sides of the upper end of the bar u, the top of whichis upon a level, or nearly so, with the lower side of the sweep I. Thelower end of the bar u is attached to the forward side of the forwardaxle of the carriage, and the said bar is strengthened against sidestrain by the inclined braces 12. The forward ends of the braces 11 areattached to the opposite sides of the forward end of the bar u, andtheir rear ends are attached to the end parts of the forward side of theforward axle of the carriage.

When operating the machine, the draft is applied to the outer end of thesweep I; but when drawing the machine from place to place the draft canbe applied to the rear part of the said sweep or to a separate tongueprovided for that purpose.

Having thus described my invention. 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a fcnce building machine, the combination, withthe platform A, of the vertical shaftf, the horizontal reels thereon,the vertical post is, the horizontally-swinging support J, hingedthereto, and the horizontal guiderollersz' "i, journaled in one verticaledge ofsaid support, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the platform A, 15

the vertical shaft f, and the horizontal reels 9, of thehorizontally-swinging support J, provided with a series ofguiderollers,'l i, formed with spaced concaved peripheral ribs to receive the barbsof the fence-wires, substan- 2o L. M. LANGE, R. B. PLOTTS.

